Social Care
Care providers in law change call
Care providers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to change the law to boost staff numbers in the sector during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Working at pace to deliver social care in a crisis
Durham CC’s focus during the COVID-19 outbreak is on supporting commissioned adult and health services to continue to deliver sustainable high quality care, says Neil Jarvis.
Councils are at the heart of this fight
Councils’ understanding of the communities they serve and ability to disseminate information to residents, including ‘at risk’ groups, will be universally relied upon over the coming weeks, writes Sir Bob Neill.
Redesigning collaboration along County Lines
Ian Blackhurst explains why local authorities, the police and partner agencies need to share information dynamically and in real time to tackle county lines.
Hancock writes to ‘brilliant’ care workers
Health secretary Matt Hancock has published a letter to care workers to thank them for ‘going the extra mile’ during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
We need to be ready to cope with the next shock
When the opportunity to reflect comes, Ian Miller feels the conclusion may be reached that the UK was not well prepared for COVID-19.
Parking charges for social care and NHS workers suspended
On-street and pay and display car parking charges for social care and NHS workers will be suspended.
‘Social care needs you’, retired care workers told
Council chiefs urge retired care workers to return to work in order to boost an over-stretched social care workforce in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
We will do everything we can to save lives
The national COVID-19 emergency is seeing the very best of our councils and our workforces and we have a ‘unique and vital role to play’, says Martin Swales.
Now councils really are stripped to the core in a crisis
Local authorities are rising to the challenge with a range of short-term fixes that will carry the country through the crisis, says Heather Jameson – and she is 'immensely proud of the sector for the mammoth effort that is being made'.
Corbynism triumphs just as he leaves the political stage
The country has 'gone Corbynite', says Michael Burton, and the public has rediscovered its love of public sector workers. Not just the usual nurses and doctors but refuse workers, care staff, social workers, cleaners, and public health employees.
When this is all over we will be different
Interim chief operating officer at Cornwall Council, Tracie Langley, views her leadership role as developing mechanisms for quick and safe decision-making and providing clarity over how emergency processes can work.
Councils need a breathing space
Councils’ priorities are now focused on fighting coronavirus, says Ian Miller – and this urgently requires a Government-wide approach suspending policy and legislative initiatives for at least three months.
Firms say government needs to do more
Key firms providing services to councils have welcomed measures to mitigate the damaging effects of the Covid-19 crisis but said more needs to be done.
£3bn bed blocking coronavirus cash injection
Almost £3bn of the Government’s £5bn Covid-19 funding will go towards freeing up at least 15,000 English hospital beds by the end of next week, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
Let's have no shortsightedness about the scale of the COVID-19 challenge
In rising to the challenge thrust upon us by COVID-19 some of what we are likely to be tasked with will be incredibly hard and our own capacity and resilience will be hit hard too, says John O'Brien of London Councils.
Jenrick urges councils not to delay on coronavirus spending
Local government secretary Robert Jenrick this week urged council leaders not to put off decisions because of money in their response to the coronavirus pandemic.
There is still plenty for this Government to ‘get done’
The Budget package does not give councils any certainty over funding for the short to medium term, let alone the long term, and failed to address much-needed reforms to social care, says Solace spokesman for finance Martin Reeves.
Yorkshire council criticises Ofsted rating based on ‘short inspection visit’
A local authority in Yorkshire has said it is ‘disappointed’ by an Ofsted rating of its children’s social care services.
Budget 2020: £5bn emergency fund to fight coronavirus
The Government has promised to deliver a £5bn emergency fund to help manage the extra pressures the NHS and social care are facing in the wake of coronavirus.